FREIGHT & Commodities IBERIA RUSSIA UKRAIN ; West and East AFRICA MARKETS

2011-12-13T15:09:00.003Z

Is Bigger Better?

December 12, 2011 By Michael Martin

One month ago, an article was posted here at More Than Shipping by Serkan Kavas; our VP of Import Development, asking the question “What will my import rates from China be in 2012”? If you didn’t read it then you should scroll down the site and do so.
The gist of the article was:
• Transpacific rates have been very volatile the past several years
• Many factors weigh into forecasting future rates and predictions are not always accurate
The pursuit of size, whether through larger capacity vessels, the formation of carrier alliances and shipping pacts, or acquisitions by large container ship lines of smaller carriers is the direction the industry has taken in the quest for economies of scale.

Bigger Vessels

Since the ocean industry has come out of the crash that occurred 2008 – 2009 $57 billion worth of orders for new vessels are in the pipeline for delivery in the next 4 years. Despite the fact that we are currently in a market situation of over capacity it does make some sense from a financial standpoint for the carriers to be ordering construction of new ships now. The price to build these new ships today is at a significant cost advantage from ships that had been ordered between 2006 – 2008. The Danish carrier Maersk has made the biggest commitment to new Triple E Class vessels with 20 of these 18,000 TEU ships on order. In addition to these huge capacity vessels they have another 24 smaller capacity ships of 4500 – 7500 TEU on order. Ocean carriers NOL/APL and Evergreen each have several billion dollars worth of orders for their own new large capacity vessels.

Bigger Alliances & Pacts

The announcement by Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM of their new shipping pact for Asia to Europe trade effectively moves them from being the second and third largest carriers in the trades to the biggest in the industry.

Bigger Acquisitions

In 2009 TUI sold a majority stake of its investment in Hapag Lloyd to the investment group Alber Ballin and is still planning to divest its remaining 38.4% shares. Earlier this month it was rumored that NOL was in negotiations again to purchase the German carrier but released a statement to the Singapore Stock Exchange that it was not making a bid for a stake in Hapag Lloyd. The last 3 consolidations of major carriers has been:

1. 1997 Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) of APL

2. 2005 Hapag Lloyd of CP Ships

3. 2006 Maersk of P&O Nedlloyd

Despite the multi-billion dollar losses sustained by the ocean carrier industry in 2009 no major mergers came about. With the very similar financial strains of 2011 it remains to be seen if any acquisitions occur in 2012.

Results

Still, in the last 23 months we’ve seen the lowest spot rates for 40 foot containers from Asia to USA. Carriers did implement a delayed PSS this year that was quickly reduced by 50% and ultimately was very short lived; reflecting the weak demand and glut of capacity. As a result most carriers have reported losses for the first 3 quarters and are predicting full year losses for 2011. Some small carriers like Horizon and MISC who entered the market have since withdrawn. Spot rates on the Asia to Europe trade lane have also been decreasing for the last year. European shippers are worried that with the MSC/CMA shipping pact and lack of competition their rates will be soon rising. Through the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) the 15 carrier members have already announced a rate restoration initiative (RRI) in the amount of $400 per FEU beginning Jan 1, 2012. With Chinese New Year starting on January 23 it remains to be seen whether this RRI will have any more affect than the 2011 PSS.

Summary

Bigger vessels, industry consolidation, pacts & alliances will in theory mean higher profitability for the carriers if these types of measures can help them reduce operating costs. Elimination and reduction of the number of carriers operating per trade lane will also help carriers increase rates.

Prediction

I’ve witnessed the volatility that has occurred in the ocean transportation industry and have some hint of where it is headed. Do I know what affect these changes will have on future transportation rates? Sorry, no. The only thing I’ve become certain of was already expressed by Benjamin Franklin.

“‘In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

2011-11-29T13:22:00.001Z

Why a Lower Rate can be Bad for an Exporter / Importer

November 28, 2011 By M. Can Fidan Leave a Comment

Do you really want your rate lower? If you are an importer or exporter, my educated guess is that your answer to this question is yes. Be careful what you wish for..

Let’s look into a few factors that might make you rethink your answer.
As a freight forwarder we are kind of in a neutral position regarding the effect of where the rate actually is. However there are 2 direct parties who are directly effected; customers and steamship lines.
As a rule of thumb, customers want lower prices and carriers want higher… In general, with the current global maritime situation, everyone is talking about the same news; new vessels are coming in; so rates will continue to go down and at the end customers will be paying less freight in the upcoming 2-3 years’ time. This may not happen in short term for certain niche trades, however considering the biggest buyer markets like Europe and the United States continue to struggle, and vessel capacity is increasing, most of the carriers expect to lose money at least in the upcoming 2 years.
Now let’s think about if this really happens and carriers continue to lose money. We shouldn’t forget that with the new vessels, bigger carriers will be less effected than midsize/small carriers. The reason being that for major trades, they will be reducing their costs and they will be replacing 6-7000 TEU’s with 12-14000 TEU’s vessels with a much smaller bunker difference on the full string of the vessel. Now those 6-7000 vessels will be going to medium/small size trades which are currently having a higher price/cost ratio (more profitable TEU wise) for the carrier. At those same trades the small/medium size carriers are making their profits. That’ s their bread and butter. The best proof of this statement is, every niche/medium size carrier first takes their services out from big lanes like China– EU or China– US once they are in trouble, because those are the biggest exposure for them with too much competition and rate fluctuation.
What is going to happen to those 6-7000 teus vessels of large carriers? I think they will be going in those niche trades, and they will be cutting the rates down to compete. This is not only because they already have the vessels , but because most of today’s smaller trades like South America, Africa and Intrasia will be major markets in the future. What is going to happen to those smaller carriers, who have less financing power and fighting range? They will get smaller and smaller, and in the end they might merge with one of the bigger carriers. Again let’s not forget that those same niche carriers are more than 8-9 of the 18-19 different carriers in those mammoth trades of Asia – EU and Asia – USA. So those carriers will be disappearing.
Then what?
As the time passes world trade will continue to grow no matter what. So what is going to come up next? What is the first reason of rates going down, isn’t it competition? If the competition intensity goes down, where is the trade going to end up? Well, we might end up with 5-6 different steamship lines dictating the world container trade. Then we will again see complaints from large exporters/importers (like cotton exporters in 2009, or US importers in 2010)
So, I’ll (M. Can Fidan )ask you again – Do you really want your rate lower?

2011-11-23T14:37:00.001Z

Current Trends In Ocean Transportation

November 21, 2011 By Rahman Mahabubur Leave a Comment

According to the WTO, in 2004, the value of international trade rose by nearly 21%. This represented the highest growth rate in 25 years. This overwhelming success was partly attributed to the presence of an efficient ocean transportation system, and more specifically, to the current trends taking place within the industry. The following are some of the current trends in ocean transportation.

Supply Chain
Recently the IAS added three new modules to its Dispatch Manager product in a bid to automate the container haulage work order process from creation to proof delivery. The additional modules are meant to enable cargo owners, ocean carriers and motor to connect effectively. Another recent development has been the gradual reduction in trade transaction costs and the time needed to clear goods. It is estimated that in 2006, an average of 17 days and $842 were required to seal an APEC outbound transaction for one container. Today both time and cost of the transaction has been reduced significantly. Also, now a Panama Maritime Chamber membership has become open to ship owners around the globe whose ships are registered in Panama. This move is geared towards providing ship-owners with networking, education, and information.
Technology

Among developments recently realized in the area of technology includes the introduction of advanced data capturing system, increased use of e-commerce, and the launch of an advanced supply chain management systems: Agistix, a transportation systems developer recently introduced a new application for enhancing supply chain data capturing process. The utilization of e-commerce in maritime shipping, on the other hand reached an all time high, when two million container orders were made through its portal. In the same measure, a new version of Ocean Tender, a popular supply chain management system was launched in the industry. The recent version is known as Ocean Tender 3.1.

Markets
Recently, Mexico and Japan have expressed an interest in joining the Transpacific Partnership; an agreement made between nine nations to promote investments and trade. Philippines and the United states on the other hand, have just signed a trade facilitation and customs administration agreement with the view of improving their global trade relations.
Transportation
Key progress in the research on alternative fuels, and the increasing need to curb overweight containers are some of the latest progress in matters related to transport. It was recently announced by the Federal Maritime Commission that notable progress had just been made in the quest for alternative fuels for commercial ships. Concerned about the implications that overweight containers has on the insurance industry, TT Club, a major Insurance company has been advocating for the weighing of containers weighed.
Regulatory
Some of the notable achievements made in this area include the enhanced monitoring of operations and the issuance of stringent penalties to protect the credibility of the industry, as well as the issuance of licenses to new operators. For instance, Sea Star Line was ordered to pay a criminal fine of $14.2 million having been found guilty of conspiring to fix prices. And as the Sea Star Line found itself on the wrong side of the law, 10 license applications were received by the U.S Federal Maritime Commission. Phison International and Elk Grove Village and DW Logistics Solutions are among the 10 companies interested into the various areas of the industry.
The size and structure of containerships
Containerships are being modified to align their structure with the characteristics of existing shipping lanes and capabilities of ports. In a departure from the past where all container carriers were predictably ultra large, current vessels are slightly shorter (350-370m) unlike those of years gone by (396m). The move towards a more compact size is aimed at enabling vessels to fit perfectly in the recently introduced Panama Canal locks, as well as enhancing the maneuverability of vessels on bendy rivers.
Gateways, inland ports, and corridors

Corridors are being developed with the aim of establishing connectivity to inland terminal facilities. Such inland terminal facilities may be used as load centers, satellite terminals, and transmodal facilities. Terminal operators, port authorities, commercial real estate developers and local governments are being included in the establishment of these facilities.
Predicted Developments In The Sea Transportation
Going forward, these are some of the changes expected to take place in the industry in the coming years:
As the sea tranportation industry becomes less profitable, it has been predicted that in the future, shipping companies are likely to experience more difficulties in securing capital for investment purposes. According to the Global Port Tracker, United States imported volume is expected to go down by about 2% by the end of November

New Incoterms 2010 Part 1- New terms and Structure

2010-11-11T09:14:00.000Z

Incoterms® 2010 Part 2 - Revision Rationale

2010-11-11T09:06:00.000Z

2010 A nova revisão dos Incoterms

2009-09-15T17:50:00.003+01:00

a) Considerações gerais

(1) Entrega / Local de entrega: nas leis e práticas do comércio pode ter múltiplos significados. Para os Incoterms 2010, "entrega" significa o momento/local da transferência de riscos de perdas e danos do vendedor para o comprador.

(2) Local designado / local de destino designado: é o local onde o vendedor transfere os custos para o comprador. Nem sempre riscos e custos são transferidos do vendedor para o comprador no mesmo local/momento, como ocorre nos termos "C".

Alteração do ponto crítico nas operações FOB, CFR e CIF

Eliminação dos termos DAF, DES, DEQ e DDU e criação dos termos “Delivered” DAT e DAP

Categorias

a) Qualquer modalidade de transporte: EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DAT e DDP

b) Marítimo e águas internas: FAS, FOB, CFR e CIF

Para qualquer modalidade de transporte (inclusive multimodal)

EXW - Ex Works (na origem, local de entrega designado)

Local de entrega (1) = ao local designado (2), significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador no mesmo local. Tem apenas um ponto crítico para riscos e custos.

FCA Free Carrier (livre no transportador, local de entrega designado)

Local de entrega = ao local designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador no mesmo local. Tem apenas um ponto crítico para riscos e custos.

CPT Carriage Paid To (transporte pago até ... local de destino designado)

Local de entrega diferente do local de destino designado (2), significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador em locais diferentes. Portanto, um ponto crítico para transferência de riscos e outro para transferência de custos. Isto é uma característica dos termos “C”.

CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid (transporte e seguro pago até ... local de destino designado)

Local de entrega diferente do local de destino designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador em locais diferentes. Portanto, um ponto crítico para transferência de riscos e outro para transferência de custos. Isto é uma característica do termos “C”.

DAP Delivered At Place (entregue no local de destino designado)

Este termo substitui o DAF, DES e DDU.

A mercadoria é entregue ao comprador no veículo transportador no destino designado, sem descarregamento. Isto pode ocorrer no navio.

Local de entrega = ao local de destino designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador no mesmo local. Tem apenas um ponto crítico para riscos e custos.

DAT Delivered At Terminal (entregue no terminal no porto ou local de destino designado)

Este termo substitui o DEQ.

Custos e riscos para o vendedor até e inclusive o descarregamento do veículo transportador.

Local de entrega = ao local de destino designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador no mesmo local. Tem apenas um ponto crítico para riscos e custos.

DDP Delivered Duty Paid (entregue no destino designado, com direitos pagos)

Local de entrega = ao local de destino designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador no mesmo local. Tem apenas um ponto crítico para riscos e custos.

Transporte por água (marítimo e águas internas)

FAS Free Alongside Ship (livre no costado do navio, porto de embarque designado)

Local de entrega = ao local designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador no mesmo local. Tem apenas um ponto crítico para riscos e custos.

FOB Free On Board (livre a bordo, porto de embarque designado)

Local de entrega = ao local designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador no mesmo local. Tem apenas um ponto crítico para riscos e custos.

Local de entrega efetivamente a bordo e não mais transpondo a amurada do navio

CFR Cost and Freight (custo e frete, porto de destino designado)

Local de entrega diferente do local destino designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador em locais diferentes. Isto é uma característica dos termos "C".

Local de entrega efetivamente a bordo e não mais transpondo a amurada do navio

CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight (custo, seguro e frete, porto de destino designado)

Local de entrega diferente do local de destino designado, significando que riscos e custos transferem-se do vendedor para o comprador em locais diferentes. Portanto, um ponto crítico para transferência de riscos e outro para transferência de custos. Isto é uma característica do termos “C”.

Local de entrega efetivamente a bordo e não mais transpondo a amurada do navio

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2009-02-06T14:44:00.000Z

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Alcino Bolotinha Pinheiro
Telefone: +351 96 008 15 10
e-mail: agrobroker@sapo.pt ou grainbroker@sapo.pt
Nationality Portuguese- date of birth: 25-02-1956
Academic qualifications•( Agronomy) Weston Agricultural College

Professional experience

Documentation (shipping)
Customs
Incoterm / International Logistics
Credit documentaries

sale / purchase contracts (INCOGRAIN/GAFTA/FOSFA/ANEC/NAEGA)
charter parties(BFC/NORGRAIN/SYNACOMEX/GENCON/NYPE/BALLTIME);
• laytime calculations
• cargo & marine claims
• Arbitrage & settlements

1. AgroBroker

SINCE 1998 to the present day –Ship & commodity brokerage, contractual execution on FOB and CIF as Independent business facilitator for the Agro-Industry;
SOTRAPEX Lda. Transportes Rodoviarios,Exportação Importação de Cereais,Lda.